Since most garden centers buy—rather than raise—most of what they sell, there is room for tremendous variation in buying ability and buying standards. The opinions we collected from consumers on garden centers reflect this big variation in quality.

Good fences cost good money. Though some homeowners opt to DIY the job, most count on fence builders to help with the design and handle the construction. We found some in the area that were highly rated by their customers; unfortunately, we also found some that weren’t held in high regard at all. And our mystery shoppers discovered huge price differences among companies bidding on the same job.

Begin by reviewing and deciding on fence type, materials, finish, height, spacing and width of slats, and post size. Also decide whether you want extras such as latticework or an electronic gate. Most fence builders provide catalogs you can examine.

Healthy though they appear most of the time, on occasion your trees might become shady characters, done in—and perhaps ultimately brought down—by disease or damage or both. We advise you on how to choose a tree care professional.